BEV BUTULA: Legislature’s site has new look, info

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The Wisconsin Legislature has launched a redesigned website, and it has quite a new look.

It appears that there is quite a bit of new information on this site (or I missed it on the prior website). For example, there is a link titled Maps and Geographic Data that contains an interactive map to locate legislators, district maps, election data, some census information, and a section dedicated to redistricting.

Another great addition is the ability to link to the Legislative Audit Bureau, Legislative Council, Legislative Fiscal Bureau, and the Legislative Reference Bureau right from the new site. Just click on the “Service Agencies” link.

Many legal researchers will be interested in the Law and Legislation link. The page has a similar feel to the old website. However, while on this page, users will notice in the upper-right hand corner additional menu options called Docs and Options. Selecting the Docs link allows the user to drill down by content set (e.g. Statutes, Admin Code). The Options link takes the user to RSS feed information and where they can set their preferences.

From the home page, choosing the Advanced Search or More Searches links provide the researcher will a nice template to quickly locate known information. For example, you can enter a specific statute, act number, or bill.

There is a direct link to the Wisconsin Blue Book and the Government Accountability Board’s Eye on Lobbying. There is also a link to the Wisconsin Eye directly from the state’s Legislature website.

Take a tour of the new website. It may take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with all the changes and new material, however it appears the designers successfully provided researchers with a single resource for all things related to Wisconsin legislation.